Maine court rules in favor of food help for asylum seeker

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Maine supreme court says the state should provide food stamps to unemployed asylum seekers who've obtained proper work documentation.

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled Tuesday in the case of a man from Burundi who's seeking asylum in the United States. Euphrem Manirakiza arrived with his family in 2014 and applied for food stamps after receiving work papers.

The state denied his request in 2015. Officials said the program had ended because of a temporary limit on such assistance in the 2014-2015 budget.

The court's ruling said it'd be illogical for a temporary budget limit to restrict such assistance forever. Manirakiza's lawyer Amy Olfene said the ruling could impact up to 150 asylum seekers.